Sir Robert Smirke (1 October 1780 – 18 April 1867) was an English architect, one of the leaders of Gothic Revival architecture, though he also used other architectural styles. As architect to the Board of Works, he designed several major public buildings, including the main block and facade of the British Museum. He was a pioneer of the use of concrete foundations.
Tim is a fan of Smirke and his work, calling him “a master of subtle stability.” His buildings have a higher percentage of hauntings and paranormal activity than other buildings and can interact in more stable ways with paranormal objects such as Leitner books. After his retirement in 1845, he became involved with various esoteric cults and sects and wanted to design churches. No diocese ever hired him to do so.
He is one of the few people who have worked to study The Entities without being bound to them, cataloguing them into a well-known list of fourteen. He appears to have striven for balance between them and prized the concept highly throughout his work in general.
He also attempts to categorise The Entities into “Smirke’s fourteen” to help understand them. Jonathan Sims explains in MAG 183 that this is mostly futile and hubristic as The Entities are too interconnected to be properly organised; nevertheless he continues using Smirke’s categories to discuss the Fears.
Biographical Information
| Affiliation | Balance |
| Status | Dead |
| Gender | Male |
| Pronouns | He/Him |
| Date of Birth | 1st October 1780 |
| Place of Birth | London |
| Date of Death | 18th April 1867 |
| Place of Death | Cheltenham, Gloucestershire |
Meta Information
| First Mention | A Distortion |
| Statement(s) | The Architect of Fear |
Buildings Designed by Smirke
The following buildings completely or partially designed by Smirke have been mentioned in The Magnus Archives:
- Millbank Prison in Millbank, Pimlico, London, on whose ruins the Institute is partially built.
- Reform Club in Pall Mall, London
- St. James’ Church (now St. Paul’s Church), Hackney, London
- Covent Garden Theatre (now the Royal Opera House), Covent Garden, Central London